Automobile locking latch

ABSTRACT

A pair of forked keeper-engaging latch members on a door edge are pivoted on parallel axes to swing toward and away from one another, respectively into and out of latching relationship to a door post-mounted keeper pin, being strongly spring-biased toward a keeper disengaging position. They are held in keeper-engaging and latching position, in which they are well overlapped in relation to one another all about the keeper pin, by a plate-like dogging pawl on a pivoted and spring biased, bell crank-shaped pawl arm. This pawl releasably engages between dogging shoulders on the respective fork members, the latter being substantially completely enclosed within an external housing formation on a door edge surface of a mounting plate, but entirely external of that plate. The pawl is undogged in opposition to its spring bias by a vertically shiftable actuator slide when the latch is in an unlocked, non-free wheeling condition; and to this end the pawl crank arm carries, on an upper, relatively short arm portion thereof, a large headed actuator pin which is received in an Lshaped opening at the top of the actuator slide. When the pin is located at one end of a substantially horizontal leg portion of this opening, a downward shift of the slide is effective to move the pin, hence swing the pawl arm, in an undogging way to free the latch forks to spring to unlatching position. In a laterally shifted position of the slide to bring the opposite end of its vertical slot leg portion into line with the pawl arm&#39;&#39;s actuator pin, the slide will free-wheel vertically relative to said pin so that the slide is ineffective to shift the pawl out of dogging engagement between the shoulders of the latching forks. The latter are subject to spring bias only in latching and unlatching, having no gear or equivalent interconnection. Vertical shifting of the slide, whether in an unlocked condition or a locked disabled or free-wheeling condition, is through the agency of an outside manually operated bell crank or lever, which has a lost motion pin and slot connection to the lower end of the actuator slide. An over-center spring-operated locking lever has an offset tab portion engageable in an elongated slot in said slide to automatically swing the latter between its locked and unlocked conditions.

nited States Patent 11 1 licklcs AUTOMOBILE LOCKING LATCH [75] Inventor: Joseph Pickles, Birmingham, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Ferro Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich.

[22] Filed: Dec. 14, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 207,830

I Primary ExaminerRichard E. Moore Attorney whittemore, Hulbert and Belknap 5 7 ABSTRACT A pair of forked keeper-engaging latch members on a door edge are pivoted on parallel axes to swing toward and away from one another, respectively into and out of latching relationship to a door post-mounted keeper pin, being strongly spring-biased toward a keeper disengaging position. They are held in keeper-engaging and latching position, in which they are well overlapped in relation to one another all about the keeper pin, by a plate-like dogging pawl on a pivoted and spring biased, bell crank-shaped pawl arm. This pawl releasably engages between dogging shoulders on the respective fork members, the latter being substantially completely enclosed within an external housing formation on a door edge surface of a mounting plate, but entirely external of that plate. The pawl is undogged in opposition to its spring bias by a vertically shiftable actuator slide when the latch is in an unlocked, nonfree wheeling condition; and to this end the pawl crank arm carries, on an upper, relatively short arm portion thereof, a large headed actuator pin which is received in an L-shaped opening at the top of the actuator slide. When the pin is located at one end of a substantially horizontal leg portion of this opening, a downward shift of the slide is effective to move the pin, hence swing the pawl arm, in an undogging way to free the latch forks to spring to unlatching position. In a laterally shifted position of the slide to bring the opposite end of its vertical slot leg portion into line with the pawl arms actuator pin, the slide will free-wheel vertically relative to said pin so that the slide is ineffective to shift the pawl out of dogging engagement between the shoulders of the latching forks. The latter are subject to spring bias only in latching and unlatching, having no gear or equivalent interconnection. Vertical shifting of the slide, whether in an unlocked condition or a locked disabled or free-wheeling condition, is through the agency of an outside manually op erated bell crank or lever, which has a lost motion pin and slot connection to the lower end of the actuator slide. An over-center spring-operated locking lever has an offset tab portion engageable in an elongated slot in said slide to automatically swing the latter between its locked and unlocked conditions.

15 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PEETEU 3784.2Al

sum 2 OF 3 FIG.4 FG5 I AUTOMOBILE LOCKING LATCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present latch is intended primarily for installation on truck doors, in which various relatively expensive refinements of structure and operation commonly incorporated in passenger vehicle latching and locking devices are not particularly desired.

2. Description of the Prior Art A search reveals the patents to Ploughman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,807 of Feb. 9, 1971, and Trudeau U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,489 of Apr. 4, 1967, as bearing most pertinently on the present improvement, in respect to both the dual latch fork and free-wheeling slide control aspects thereof. Kramer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,336 ofJune 6, 1961, also relates to the fork arrangement. Others are DiSalvo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,121,580 of Feb. 18, 1964, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,388 of Mar. 3, 1964, Westerdale U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,302 of Jan. 25, 1966, Roethel U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,206,237 of Sept. 11, 1965, 3,285,645 of Nov. 15, 1966 and 3,288,507 of Nov. 29, 1966, and Connor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,198 of Mar. 11, 1969.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved lock is of an extremely simple construction, incorporating a minimum number of inexpensively stamped parts; and the assembly of these parts is an equally simple and inexpensive matter. Its rugged, plate-like forked latching members, as pivoted on parallel, laterally spaced axes, are disposed side-byside to overlap one another entirely about the latched keeper pin on the door frame, thereby affording great strength against separation from the keeper in a direction paralleling the latters axis.

The latching forks are also substantially entirely enclosed in a mounting plate housing extension strongly staked to the outer side of the plate proper, the actuat ing parts and linkage having maximum shielding on the inner side of said plate. The forks unlatch from the keeper pin independently of one another and solely under the influence of a strong biasing spring, coiled at ends thereof which encircle the pivotal axes of the forks, once the dogging pawl has been released from holding engagement between shoulder or heel formations on the forks.

A single bell crank-shaped operator or actuator lever, controlled by a handle or the like external of the door, is employed to operate the pawl arm and un-dog the latch forks, acting for this purpose through the agency of a vertically shiftable plate-like slide. Said slide has the free-wheeling or non-free wheeling relationship to the pawl arm mentioned in the Abstract; and it also has a lost motion pin and slot connection to the actuator lever to accommodate the free-wheel shift of the slide relative to the pawl arm. In regard to its locked and unlocked condition, the slide is itself shifted between these positions by a small tab formation on a locking lever, which formation has camming reception in a slot of the slide. The locking lever is, in the usual fashion, operated manually by a door moldingmounted internal push button or by an outside key lock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in vertical section, as on line l-l of FIG. 6, showing the spring biased latching fork mem- 2 bers ofthe improved locking latch in a keeper or striker engaging, latched condition of the lock, as releasably held in that condition by pivotal dogging pawl means;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. I, but showing the latching forks in their un-dogged and released position to disengage from the keeper, here shown in dot-dash line;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in section on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of FIG. 1, the fork-dogging pawl appearing in dot-dash line;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, as from the left of FIG. 6, of the dogging pawl arm, actuator slide and locking lever components of the improved latch in its unlocked and latched condition, with an operating lever shown in solid and dot-dash lines in its positions before and after actuating the slide downwardly, this representing a view from the side of the latch mounting plate opposite the side appearing in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the pawl arm of the linkage as shifted to the unlatched or undogging condition, the position of the locking lever in the locked, free-wheeling condition of the latch appearing in dotted line, as well as the relationship of the slides L-slot to the pawl arms pin;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the latch components, as partially broken away and vertically cross-sectioned in an over-lapped, keeper-engaging and latching position of its fork members, also with its actuator slide in a position corresponding to that of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the latch; as from the top of line 7-7 in FIG. 4, showing locking lever features as associated with the pawl arm and mounting plate;

FIG. 8 is a view in generally horizontal cross-section on line 8-8 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view in generally horizontal section on line 9-9 of FIG. 4, showing the locking levers cam-like operating connection at an offset tab to the actuator slide.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved latch of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, includes mounting means to secure the same to an automobile door (not shown) in the form of a generally flat sheet metal stamping having a main plate part 11 marginally flanged and recessed in a manner to be described; and

plate member 11 is fixedly secured, as at certain rivet formations 13 thereof, in a substantially flush relationship across the free edge of the automobile door, instanced above as a truck door.

A pair of like latch forks 15, 16 are pivotally mounted by parallel pins 17 carried by the mounting plate 11, being enclosed substantially in their entireties in an arcuate housing formation 18 staked at several places to the outer surface of plate member 11. Housing 18 is defined on its outer side by an integral wall 19 thereof, with the exception ofa bay 20 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) in which the usual striker or keeper pin K, as conventionally affixed to the door frame, is accommodated. The keeper may or may not be of an internally cushioned type, as disclosed in the above-cited patent to Kramer U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,366, also Pickles, U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,127 of Mar. 14, 1967, depending upon the specification of the car manufacturer.

Latch forks l5 and 16 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as being shaped to provide a recess 21 between projecting latch f ngers 22, 23 thereof; and the opposite edge surface portion 24 of each fork 15, 16 is shaped to present angularly spaced shoulders 25, 26 for a purpose to be described. The usual intermediate or safety latch shoulders are also provided, as indicated at 25', 26.

A single strong torsion spring 28 functions to bias the latch forks 15, 16 respectively counterclockwise and clockwise about their individual hinge pins 17, i.e., toward the unlatched position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2; and for this purpose the spring 28 is formed to span vertically the space between pins 17. Its ends are each provided with a plural convolution coil 29, which coils encircle the fork pivot pins 17; and the coils 29 each terminate in an offset tail 30, these offsets abutting continually against further shoulders 25", 26" of the respective forks 15, 16 and thus rotatively driving the latter oppositely.

As appears in FIGS. 1 and 6, the latching fingers 22, 23 of the forks parallel and overlap one another substantially when the latch is in the latching condition of FIG. 1, the four latch fingers then closely embracing the entire periphery of keeper K to hold the door closed.

Latch forks 15, 16 are held in the door closed and latched position of FIG. 1 by a rectangular pawl piece 31 integrally formed as an offset of a rugged pawl arm 33 stamped of heavy section stock. This arm is in the form of a mildly angled bell crank, as appears in FIGS. 4 and 5, its dogging pawl 31 projecting at 90 from a side of and adjacent the arm's lower end. Pawl part 31 extends inwardly through a generous size rectangular opening 32 in mounting plate 11, thus permitting a liberal swing between positions of the pawl appearing in FIGS. 1 and 2. Arm 33 is pivotally mounted to said mounting plate 11 by means of a headed stud or shoulder rivet 34 at an elevation substantially above its pawl 31; and an upper bell crank arm portion 35 is provided with a laterally projecting actuator pin 36 in the form of a large headed shoulder rivet 36. It is at this actuator pin that the pawl arm 33 is operated (in a manner and by means to be described) in removing its dogging pawl from between the blocking shoulders 25, 26 of the latch forks 15, 16, this being from the dogging or latched position of FIG. 1 to the outwardly swung undogging or released position of FIG. 2. Thereupon the forks are snapped by torsion spring 28 to the last named position, simultaneously exerting considerable door-opening by resort to the keeper K as a reaction part.

A single coil tension spring 38 continually urges pawl arm 33 counterclockwise about its pivot at rivet 34 toward fork-dogging position. As best appears in FIGS. 4 and 5, one end of spring 38 anchors at 39 to an ear 40 slit and stamped from a narrow mounting plate flange 12, the other end of the spring being hooked at 41 about a bottom tail portion 42 of pawl arm 33.

Now referring in particular to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, considered with the detail views of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, a control and actuator slide and locking lever sub-assembly is mounted on the same side of mounting plate 11 as the pawl arm 33, i.e., the side of the plate opposite that on which the latch fork structure of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is located. The sub-assembly referred to comprises a vertically elongated and shiftable control transmitter slide or link, generally designated 44, and a locking lever, generally designated 45. These components are in the form of sheet metal stampings specially edgecontoured and transversely offset in section in a manner to enable them to be compactly assembled in parallel, side-to-side relation to the relatively thickly sectioned pawl arm 33.

As appears in FIGS. 4 and 5, the locking lever 45 is provided with a medial circular opening 47 at which it pivots 0n the same headed pin, rivet or stud 34 as pivots the pawl arm 33; and on opposite sides of such pivot the locking lever 45 carries projecting arms 48, 49, the latter being offset, at which it is manually operated in the usual fashion through the agency ofa garnish moldmounted push button (not shown) and an outside keyoperated lock linkage (also not shown). Likewise in conventional fashion, a small over-center torsion spring 50 snaps locking lever 45 from one position, for example, the unlocking position of FIG. 4, to the locked position shown in dotted line in FIG. 5, and vice versa.

Spring 50 is anchored to mounting plate 11 at one offset spring end, and its opposite offset end engages in a bay in an integral extension 51 of lever 45 for this purpose. A top ear 52 of locking lever 45 is received in an elongated slot 53 ofa 90 offset flange formation 54 of plate 11, the ear having limiting engagement with one end of slot 53 in the unlocked position of FIG. 4, and with the opposite end of the slot in the dotted line locked position of FIG. 5. Locking lever 46 is structurally completed by an integral T-shaped ear or tab 56 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 9) struck therefrom, which tab has a function later described.

The transmitter or actuator slide 44 of latch 10, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is of a vertically elongated and specially shaped character. Thus, it includes a lower elongated and generally vertically disposed tail 58, which has a mildly arcuate slot 59, at which it has a lost motion connection with a headed pin or rivet element 60 fixedly carried by a 90 offset arm 61 on a bell crank-shaped operator lever 62. The latter pivots at 63 on a pin carried by mounting plate 11, and the upright leg of lever 62 is apertured for connection to an outside operated linkage (not shown), actuation of which causes lever 62 to swing and operate slide or link 44 when the latch 10 is in the unlocked condition of FIG. 4. For the same purpose, but under inside or remote linkage control, the rail 58 of the slide 44 has a 90 bent ear 64, at which it may be engaged by a claw-type operator 65 of such linkage, as suggested in dot-dash line in FIG. 4.

A medially coiled torsion spring 66 has a leg 67 anchoring to a slit offset 68 on mounting plate 11, and another leg 69 taking into an edge notch in slide 44; the spring 66 acting to urge the slide 44 upwardly when latch 10 is either the unlocked condition (solid line in FIG. 4) or in the free-wheeling, locked, dot-dash line position of FIG. 4, also as suggested in FIG. 5, in which the slide may shift bodily up or down in a disabled fashion relative to the pawl arm pin 36.

The positioning of slide 44 for the purposes referred to is under the control of the locking lever 45; and to this end the slide is provided with a vertically elongated slot 70 in which, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 9, the neck of the T-shaped offset tongue or tab 56 of locking lever 45 is received. Thus, as lever 45 is snap-swung clockwise by over-center spring 50 from its solid line position in FIGS. 4 and 5 to its dotted line position of FIG. 5, the lock levers tab 56, as engaged in the slides slot 70, will cam the slide or link 44 from right (FIG. 4) to left (FIG. 5), and vice versa when lock lever 45 is snapswung counterclockwise, with the respective locking free-wheel and unlocking effects taking place through the agency of means now to be described.

Thus, considering FIG. 8 in conjunction with FIG. 4, the upper end of slide 44 is in the form of a projecting arm 71 which is punched to provide an L-shaped locking control slot or opening terminally defined at its right by an upper recess or bay leg portion 72 and at its bottom and to the left by a mildly arcuate re-entrant leg formation or portion 73, which formation presents upper and lower edges drivingly engageable with pawl arm pin 36. With the neck of that pin received in the slides control slot, an enlarged rivet head 74 of pin 36 substantially overhangs the margins of the slot 69 in either the horizontal leg portion 73 or the upright leg portion 72, as best appears in FIG. 8.

Thus, it is seen that when the slide 44 is in its unlocked position of FIG. 4, it is in the mildly arcuate horizontal leg portion 73 of its control slot in which the operating pin 36 of the pawl arm '33 is received; and in this condition an operation of the slide, either by lever 62 or remote control member 65, from the position of FIG. 4to the position of FIG. 5 will cause it to drivingly swing pawl arm 33 clockwise from the FIG. 4 to the FIG. 5 position. This undogs or unlatches the forks 15, I6. Re-latch will take place when the door is swung shut, in the customary manner of fork-type latches.

However, when the shift of the lock lever 45 is counterclockwise and such as to cause its tab 56 to cam the slide 44 to the right (FIGS. 4 and 5), fulcrumming to some extent about its lost motion connection to the op erating lever pin 60, then it is in upright leg portion 72 of the slides control slot that the operating pin 36 of pawl arm 33 is disposed. Consequently, a vertical shift of the slide in either direction, with pin 36 freewheeling in leg portion 72, and pin 60 free-wheeling or not relative to slot 59, as indicated in dotted line in FIG. 5, is ineffective to pivot the pawl arm 33. The pawl piece remains in the fork-dogging position of FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, and latch remains locked. It is unlocked upon a clockwise shift of locking lever 45, as previously described.

What is claimed is:

I. A door latch construction comprising a mounting plate having means to secure the same in substantially flush parallel abutting relation to an upright free end of a door, said plate being provided with housing means on the external side thereof, a pair of similar, springbiased latch forks having means pivotally mounting the same within said housing means to swing about spaced parallel axes into and out of position for embracing and latching engagement with a fixed keeper, said forks being disposed in parallel planes of swing to and from the keeper engaging position thereof, the forks presenting connected fork arms which with another portion of each fork substantially entirely embrace the periphery of the keeper in said engaging condition, with respective pairs of corresponding fork arms well overlapped relative to each other, a pawl releasably engageable with said forks to hold the forks in said engaging condition, and means operatively connected to said pawl and carried by said mounting plate on the side thereof opposite said housing means for releasing said pawl to enable said forks to move from said keeper engaging position, said pawl releasing means comprising an operating lever pivoted on said opposite side of the mounting plate, a transmitter slide having a pin and slot connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the slide under actuation by the operating lever, said slide having a further pin and L-shaped slot connection to an extension part of said pawl, at which further connection said slide optionally acts to transmit forkreleasing motion to said pawl extension part or to freewheel in relation to said part and fail to transmit said motion, said first-named pin and slot connection of the transmitter slide and operating lever accommodating a lost relative motion of said operating lever and slide when the pawl extension part and slide free-wheel rela tive to one another at said pin and L-slot connection thereof, a locking lever, and a camming connection of said locking lever to said transmitter slide enabling the locking lever to shift the slide optionally between positions at said further pin and L-slot connection in which the slide transmits and fails to transmit said fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part.

2. The latch of claim 1, in which said pawl is directly engageable between mutually facing shoulder formations of both of said forks to releasably hold them in said keeper engaging position.

3. The latch construction of claim 2, and further comprising spring means operatively connected to and biasing said forks for simultaneous movement away from said keeper engaging position, said spring means being substantially the sole connection between the forks for said simultaneous movement, said spring means comprising spring coils encircling the respective pivotal axes of the forks and acting against said shoulder formations on said forks to impart said simultaneous movement thereto.

4. An automobile door latch comprising a mounting plate, a latch member carried by said mounting plate for movement between latching and latch releasing positions relative to a fixed keeper, a pawl engageable with said latch member to releasably hold the latter in the latching position, and means controlling movement of said pawl from said latching position to said releasing position, comprising an operating lever pivoted on said mounting plate, a transmitter slide having a first pin and slot connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the slide under actuation by the operating lever, said slide having a further pin and L- shaped slot connection to an extension part of said pawl, at which further connection said slide optionally acts to transmit latch-releasing motion to said pawl extension part or to free-whel in relation to said part and fail to transmit said motion, said first pin and slot connection of the transmitter slide and operating lever accommodating a lost relative motion of said operating lever and'slide when the pawl extension part and slide free-wheel relative to one another at said pin and L-slot connection thereof, a locking lever, and a camming connection of said locking lever to said transmitter slide enabling the locking lever to shift the slide optionally between positions at said further pin and L-slot connection in which the slide transmits and fails to transmit said fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part.

5. The latch of claim 4, in which said first connection comprises a pin on said operating lever received in an up-right slot in said transmitter slide, said pin engaging the lower end of said upright slot to shift the slide downwardly and thus transmit fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part, said further pin and slot connection comprising an L-shaped opening in said extension part presenting a generally horizontal leg portion communicating at one end with a generally vertical leg portion of said opening, and a pin on said part disposable in said horizontal leg portion in a position to transmit said fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part upon downward shift of the slide, said slide being shiftable by said locking lever to bring the vertical leg portion of the L-shaped opening to position relative to said part pin for free-wheeling at that portion, thus to fail to transmit fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part.

6. The latch of claim 4, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises a vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side of the slide slot.

7. The latch of claim 5, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises a vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side of the slide slot.

8. The latch of claim 4, in which said slide has a portion operable independently of said operating lever to shift the slide in transmitting and failing to transmit fork releasing motions. I

9. The latch of claim 5, in which said slide has a portion operable independently of said operating lever to shift the slide in transmitting and failing to transmit fork releasing motions.

10. The latch of claim 4, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side of the slide slot, said slide having a portion operable independently of said operating lever to shift the slide in transmitting and failing to transmit fork releasing motions.

11. The latch of claim 5, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises a vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side ofthe slide slot, said slide having a portion operable independently of said operating lever to transmit fork releasing motions.

12. A door latch construction comprising a mounting plate having means to secure the same in substantially flush parallel abutting relation to an upright free end of a door, said plate being provided with housing means on the external side thereof, a pair of similar springbiased latch forks having means pivotally mounting the same within said housing means to swing about spaced parallel axes into and out of position for embracing and latching engagement with a fixed keeper, said forks being disposed in parallel planes of swing to and from the keeper-engaging position thereof, the forks presenting connected fork arms which substantially embrace the keeper in said engaging condition, with respective pairs of corresponding fork arms well overlapped relative to each other, a pawl releasably engageable with said forks to latch the latter in said keeperengaging position, and means operatively connected to said pawl and carried by said mounting plate on the side thereof opposite said housing means for controlling movement of said pawl from the fork-engaging and latching position to a fork-releasing position, comprising an operating lever pivoted on said opposite side of mounting plate, a longitudinally slotted transmitter link having an operating connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the link under actuation by the operating lever, said link as thus actuated being optionally operative on an extension part of said pawl to transmit to and place the latter in said fork-releasing position, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said opposite plate side and having a camming operating connection in a slotted formation of said transmitter link enabling the locking lever to shift the link optionally between positions in which the link transmits and fails to transmit fork-releasing force to said pawl extension part, and means independent of said operating lever and the latters said operating connection for placing said pawl in said fork-releasing position.

13. The latch construction of claim 12, in which said pawl is directly engageable between formations of both of said forks to releasably hold them in said keeper engaging position.

14. The latch construction of claim 12, and further comprising spring means operatively connected to and biasing said forks for simultaneous movement away from said keeper engaging position, said spring means being substantially the sole connection between the forks for said simultaneous movement.

15. A door latch construction comprising a mounting plate having means to secure the same to an upright free end ofa door, said plate having a latching member pivotally mounted thereon to swing into and out of position for latching engagement with a fixed keeper, a pawl releasably engageable with said member to latch the latter in said keeper-engaging and latching position, and means carried by said mounting plate and operatively connected to said pawl for controlling movement of the latter pawl from its keeper-engaging and latching position to a keeper-releasing position, comprising an operating lever pointed on said mounting plate, a longitudinally slotted transmitter link having an operating connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the link under actuation by the operating lever, said link as thus actuated being optionally operative on an extension part of said pawl to transmit to and place the latter in said keeper-releasing position, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said plate nad having a camming operating connection in a slotted formation of said transmitter link enabling the locking lever to shift the link optionally between positions in which the link transmits and fails to transmit keeper releasing force to said pawl extension part, and means independent of said operating lever and locking lever and the latters said operating connection for placing said pawl in said fork-releasing position. 

1. A door latch construction comprising a mounting plate having means to secure the same in substantially flush parallel abutting relation to an upright free end of a door, said plate being provided with housing means on the external side thereof, a pair of similar, spring-biased latch forks having means pivotally mounting the same within said housing means to swing about spaced parallel axes into and out of position for embracing and latching engagement with a fixed keeper, said forks being disposed in parallel planes of swing to and from the keeper engaging position thereof, the forks presenting connected fork arms which with another portion of each fork substantially entirely embrace the periphery of the keeper in said engaging condition, with respective pairs of corresponding fork arms well overlapped relative to each other, a pawl releasably engageable with said forks to hold the forks in said engaging conditioN, and means operatively connected to said pawl and carried by said mounting plate on the side thereof opposite said housing means for releasing said pawl to enable said forks to move from said keeper engaging position, said pawl releasing means comprising an operating lever pivoted on said opposite side of the mounting plate, a transmitter slide having a pin and slot connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the slide under actuation by the operating lever, said slide having a further pin and L-shaped slot connection to an extension part of said pawl, at which further connection said slide optionally acts to transmit fork-releasing motion to said pawl extension part or to free-wheel in relation to said part and fail to transmit said motion, said first-named pin and slot connection of the transmitter slide and operating lever accommodating a lost relative motion of said operating lever and slide when the pawl extension part and slide free-wheel relative to one another at said pin and L-slot connection thereof, a locking lever, and a camming connection of said locking lever to said transmitter slide enabling the locking lever to shift the slide optionally between positions at said further pin and L-slot connection in which the slide transmits and fails to transmit said fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part.
 2. The latch of claim 1, in which said pawl is directly engageable between mutually facing shoulder formations of both of said forks to releasably hold them in said keeper engaging position.
 3. The latch construction of claim 2, and further comprising spring means operatively connected to and biasing said forks for simultaneous movement away from said keeper engaging position, said spring means being substantially the sole connection between the forks for said simultaneous movement, said spring means comprising spring coils encircling the respective pivotal axes of the forks and acting against said shoulder formations on said forks to impart said simultaneous movement thereto.
 4. An automobile door latch comprising a mounting plate, a latch member carried by said mounting plate for movement between latching and latch releasing positions relative to a fixed keeper, a pawl engageable with said latch member to releasably hold the latter in the latching position, and means controlling movement of said pawl from said latching position to said releasing position, comprising an operating lever pivoted on said mounting plate, a transmitter slide having a first pin and slot connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the slide under actuation by the operating lever, said slide having a further pin and L-shaped slot connection to an extension part of said pawl, at which further connection said slide optionally acts to transmit latch-releasing motion to said pawl extension part or to free-whel in relation to said part and fail to transmit said motion, said first pin and slot connection of the transmitter slide and operating lever accommodating a lost relative motion of said operating lever and slide when the pawl extension part and slide free-wheel relative to one another at said pin and L-slot connection thereof, a locking lever, and a camming connection of said locking lever to said transmitter slide enabling the locking lever to shift the slide optionally between positions at said further pin and L-slot connection in which the slide transmits and fails to transmit said fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part.
 5. The latch of claim 4, in which said first connection comprises a pin on said operating lever received in an up-right slot in said transmitter slide, said pin engaging the lower end of said upright slot to shift the slide downwardly and thus transmit fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part, said further pin and slot connection comprising an L-shaped opening in said extension part presenting a generally horizontal leg portion communicating at one end with a gEnerally vertical leg portion of said opening, and a pin on said part disposable in said horizontal leg portion in a position to transmit said fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part upon downward shift of the slide, said slide being shiftable by said locking lever to bring the vertical leg portion of the L-shaped opening to position relative to said part pin for free-wheeling at that portion, thus to fail to transmit fork releasing motion to said pawl extension part.
 6. The latch of claim 4, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises a vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side of the slide slot.
 7. The latch of claim 5, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises a vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side of the slide slot.
 8. The latch of claim 4, in which said slide has a portion operable independently of said operating lever to shift the slide in transmitting and failing to transmit fork releasing motions.
 9. The latch of claim 5, in which said slide has a portion operable independently of said operating lever to shift the slide in transmitting and failing to transmit fork releasing motions.
 10. The latch of claim 4, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side of the slide slot, said slide having a portion operable independently of said operating lever to shift the slide in transmitting and failing to transmit fork releasing motions.
 11. The latch of claim 5, in which said camming connection of the locking lever and slide comprises a vertically elongated slot in the slide and a tab on the locking lever received as a cam acting on a side of the slide slot, said slide having a portion operable independently of said operating lever to transmit fork releasing motions.
 12. A door latch construction comprising a mounting plate having means to secure the same in substantially flush parallel abutting relation to an upright free end of a door, said plate being provided with housing means on the external side thereof, a pair of similar spring-biased latch forks having means pivotally mounting the same within said housing means to swing about spaced parallel axes into and out of position for embracing and latching engagement with a fixed keeper, said forks being disposed in parallel planes of swing to and from the keeper-engaging position thereof, the forks presenting connected fork arms which substantially embrace the keeper in said engaging condition, with respective pairs of corresponding fork arms well overlapped relative to each other, a pawl releasably engageable with said forks to latch the latter in said keeper-engaging position, and means operatively connected to said pawl and carried by said mounting plate on the side thereof opposite said housing means for controlling movement of said pawl from the fork-engaging and latching position to a fork-releasing position, comprising an operating lever pivoted on said opposite side of mounting plate, a longitudinally slotted transmitter link having an operating connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the link under actuation by the operating lever, said link as thus actuated being optionally operative on an extension part of said pawl to transmit to and place the latter in said fork-releasing position, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said opposite plate side and having a camming operating connection in a slotted formation of said transmitter link enabling the locking lever to shift the link optionally between positions in which the link transmits and fails to transmit fork-releasing force to said pawl extension part, and means independent of said operating lever and the latter''s said operating connection for placing said pawl in said fork-releasing Position.
 13. The latch construction of claim 12, in which said pawl is directly engageable between formations of both of said forks to releasably hold them in said keeper engaging position.
 14. The latch construction of claim 12, and further comprising spring means operatively connected to and biasing said forks for simultaneous movement away from said keeper engaging position, said spring means being substantially the sole connection between the forks for said simultaneous movement.
 15. A door latch construction comprising a mounting plate having means to secure the same to an upright free end of a door, said plate having a latching member pivotally mounted thereon to swing into and out of position for latching engagement with a fixed keeper, a pawl releasably engageable with said member to latch the latter in said keeper-engaging and latching position, and means carried by said mounting plate and operatively connected to said pawl for controlling movement of the latter pawl from its keeper-engaging and latching position to a keeper-releasing position, comprising an operating lever pointed on said mounting plate, a longitudinally slotted transmitter link having an operating connection to said lever enabling a substantially linear shift of the link under actuation by the operating lever, said link as thus actuated being optionally operative on an extension part of said pawl to transmit to and place the latter in said keeper-releasing position, a locking lever pivotally mounted on said plate nad having a camming operating connection in a slotted formation of said transmitter link enabling the locking lever to shift the link optionally between positions in which the link transmits and fails to transmit keeper releasing force to said pawl extension part, and means independent of said operating lever and locking lever and the latter''s said operating connection for placing said pawl in said fork-releasing position. 